The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-11-25
PEASANTS OF CHAMPERY.
4 Swiss village Whose Young Men
and Women Are Not Given to
Narrytun

and Women Are Not Given to
Marrying.
The peasants OF Champery, says The
london QHeeR, are especially genial
and pleasant; every one you meet has
4 b0,joHr for you, and they never think
)f asking more than the value of their
excellent cream and milk. They are
lot marrying people, and there are
very few children to be seen. In one
Of their professions there were eighty
i've unmarried women. Astonished ut
such number OF old maids in small
community, / inquired if the young
men sought brides from distance.
The answer was: "Oh. no, they do not
marry at all They live at home with
their parents; there are not chalets
enough Tor them to make separate
WsHage. nor land enough to feed more
mouths Therefore this village bids
fair to decrease in population.
The cure has an immense influence,
and does not allow his people to beg
Tie disapproves OF gay colors. Hence
The women's hats are mostly trimmed
with black, and he has put quite veto
on dancing. When servants balls are
gotten up in the hotels he begs that the
young men will not give their hands in
the dance to the stranger He does
not think 1t necessary TO caution the
young women. A few days ago
young girl, said to be the prettiest in
the village, died of consumption and
was buried two DAYS afterward. 1t
was pretty sight to see the funeral
procession come down the village.
The bearers were four young men with
white ribbons and favors, and the
women all wore white muslin wells
the same which they had worn on the
iete of the assumption of the Virgin,
when all the people, men and women,
attended service in the church, and
with the cure at their head walked
through the village, chanting and
carrying a banner. The little church
was full during the funeral service, the
women kneeling to the left the men to
the right of the aisle The coffin was
placed in the middle, covered with
flowers and surrounded by lighted can
dies. At one period of the service the
women all filed round in procession,
each one sprinkling the coffin with holy
water After the coffin had been low
cred the grave was filled in by four
young men and the mound shap-
ed by them, the poor girls godmother
remaining to superntend and put the
finishing touches The portrait of the
girl adorns the shop windows riding
on Il mule like man. and with the
primitive wide trousers which the
women wear in the mountains. There
are two or three general shops or
stores, where every variety of article
may be purchased, from large hats and
gauze wells to woolon goods and Eng
lish biscuits.
As rule ladies come TO these noun
tain places quite unprovidcd with suit
able attire. They have dresses with
"kilting" round the bottom, which rip
of and catch on rock the first noun
tain path they descend, often rsSing a
bad fall. Then they have boots so thin
that the stones literally cut them to
pieces, and they have to resort to the
native shoemaker, who will make them
q strong pair of high laced-up boots for
about II francs. A plain wooden skirt,
not gored, is the most usefu! dress 1t
should not be so tight as to impede
progress, nor 50 heavy aS TO fatigue The
wearer. and there will be nothing in it
TO catch or tear. A full flannel bodice
and belt at the waist, to which latter a
few useful articles should be attached
(knife, scissors, pins, etc. }. and large
hat, which will dispense with sun
shade, are also desirable, as it is I'M
comfortable to have to hold parasal.
in one hand aud pick your way with an
alpenstock in the other.
-s -e-.-
Hard Tinnec for. Eyoht-trO Gtofo .